The Heart-Break of One Andromeda Tonks
by Gajevyaddict
Summary: Andromeda is alone for the first time since the war ended. She breaks down. But someone unexpected comes and comforts her. Do not read if you don't want deep feelings. This is sad.


**A/n: Round Five Story for The Houses Competition. Team: Badgers. Class: DADA. Word Count: 1985. Category: Standard. Prompt: [emotion] heartbroken. slightly ooc This one is kinda dark people. Be warned. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing.**

The moment Harry Potter stepped through the floo with her grandson and left her alone for the first time since the war ended Andromeda fell to her knees on the floor. The tears that she had held back through the funerals, the visits, and the consolations finally flowed freely. Her breath caught in her throat when she tried to scream, so instead, the tears fell silently.

She knew she wasn't the only one who had lost someone due to the war. But she was the only one whose entire family was destroyed. Her grandson would never get to know his father and how shy he could be. Wouldn't get to know his mother who could browbeat even Merlin or Morgana into submission. How amazingly stubborn she could be but also so amazingly sweet. Then she thought about her own husband and the pain became even greater.

She had thought she'd dealt with the pain of losing her husband but with the pain of losing her daughter and son-in-law fresh in her mind, the pain from losing him jumped back into her forethoughts as well. Ted Tonks had become her everything when her family turned their backs on her. She'd known it was going to happen when she married him, shouldn't have been surprised, or even upset about losing such a poisonous family, but it still hurt. He'd been so understanding. He'd had no problem with being her rock. Now when she needed a rock most he was gone. Dead. Just like the rest of her family except Teddy.

Andromeda tried to focus on the needs of her grandson but with the guilt of not having been there to protect his mother and father she had a hard time of it. If she didn't know for a fact that Harry Potter wasn't ready for the commitment of being a full-time godfather she probably would have thrown herself off some tower or cliff. As it was, the only thing keeping her from doing so and joining her family was the fact that Teddy needed her, and also the fact that her daughter would never forgive her if she left Teddy to relieve her own pain. So she had put on the blank pure-blood face she'd been forced to learn as a child. She might have shaken off some things taught to her by the Black family, but not showing weakness to anyone was a rule she hadn't been able to forget.

As she sat there on the floor trying desperately to piece herself together so she could be what Teddy needed, she heard her floo flare. She quickly put back on the emotionless face, though the effect was ruined by the tears still streaming down her face. When she looked up to see who was interrupting her only moment of pain and solitude she gasped when she saw her sister, Narcissa. She quickly stood up and wiped her tears away with her hand. "Narcissa, what can I do for you? I heard what you did for Harry Potter. I'll admit I was surprised but grateful. Did you need to talk? I could make tea."

Narcissa was momentarily stunned speechless by the fact that she'd walked into see her older sister silently sobbing on the floor. She'd never seen her sister cry. Not even when they were younger and still talked to each other. Her sister had always seemed like this strong immovable force. Narcissa often went to Andromeda to cry to when she was younger. Because unlike Bellatrix who became frustrated with too much emotion, Andromeda would hold her until her tears settled, then after the tears finally subsided would get the house elves to bring tea and talk to her until she felt better.

Narcissa's heart broke at the sight of her sister, normally so strong and seemingly unflappable, broken down. When Andromeda stood and offered her tea, tears of empathy fell from her own eyes, "Oh Andy," and with that Narcissa threw herself at her sister hugging her tightly. Narcissa never had been able to hide her own emotions completely, at least not with those she cared about.

Andromeda, slightly shocked to now find herself with an armful of her sister, was speechless. But as the tears fell down Narcissa's face she couldn't keep the tears from re-emerging on her own face. It wasn't lost on her that the sister she used to comfort the most was now comforting her, but she didn't have it in her to question her at the moment. She needed someone to lean on and if Narcissa was offering that, no matter her sister's reasons for doing so, she was going to take it.

When Andromeda's tears finally subsided, not from lack of pain but from lack of any more tears to cry, she turned to Narcissa. When Andromeda finally spoke her voice still wavered slightly. "Narcissa why did you come here today? It's been weeks since the battle. Is everything alright at home?"

Narcissa shook her head then nodded, "Yes, everything at home is fine. I came to see you. To apologize for how awful I was to you all these years. You were always closer to me than…" She caught herself before actually saying their eldest sister's name. Even if she was dead now she wasn't sure Andromeda would want to hear her spoken about. "When you married Ted, I shouldn't have let the family influence me the way they did. You were always the one I went to when I was upset Andy. I let their expectations ruin our sistership, dare I even call it a friendship. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Andy was stunned speechless for only a moment, "Oh Cissa, how could you think differently? It was all you'd grown up with…"

Narcissa shook her head and cut her off, "No, that isn't an excuse, you were brought up the same way and you broke free of their teachings…"

Andromeda then cut Narcissa off, "Only because I fell in love Cissa. If I hadn't fallen in love with Ted who knows what would have happened. I could have turned out just as bad as…" Andy caught herself. Narcissa was here asking for forgiveness but she wasn't sure how she felt about their dead sister. She didn't want to say anything to chase her away. Not when she needed someone to talk to so desperately.

Narcissa heard the pause and rushed to reassure her sister, "Bellatrix was insane Andy. I know that now. I suppose she always was a bit, her moods changed so often as kids, but after Azkaban, there really was nothing left of the Bella we knew as children. The caring person she could be, although it was admittedly rarely, was completely gone. I am sorry she is dead because she is family, but the world is better off without her."

Andromeda saw the sincerity in her sister's face. She even saw a similar pain to her own hiding in her sister's eyes. Narcissa was right, the world was better without Bellatrix in it, but she was still their sister. And even with as bad as Bellatrix had treated her she'd come to realize by losing her whole family that the bonds were never truly broken. She didn't miss who Bellatrix was, more who she had been. She missed her oldest sister as she was when she was being the solid defender of the three. When she would take the blame for any trouble they found themselves in. When she had met Voldemort, and been forced to marry Rodolphus despite the fact that she had hated him Bellatrix had changed. Some would have thought it was an immediate change, it wasn't though. It was slow, she went from being Andy's and Cissy's knight to being just another to condemn them for their actions and emotions.

As the emotions of all their family had lost, and how much they had changed, hit Andromeda again she collapsed to the ground again and finally let out a wail of pain that had been previously unreleased. As she wailed the glass in the windows shattered from the emotion.

Narcissa, unsure of how to help knelt down next to her sister and simply pulled her into her arms. They sat together on the floor, Narcissa holding her older sister until Andromeda's voice finally broke. The wails dying and falling into more silent tears.

When the tears finally subsided again Andromeda stood pulling her sister up with her. She felt slightly better now that she'd finally been able to release the pain and anguish. Looking at the time on the clock on her fireplace mantle she gasped. "Narcissa help me clean up all the windows and repair them, please. Harry Potter will be bringing Teddy back in less than five minutes."

Narcissa nodded and together they fixed the windows and cleaned up the room. They finished only seconds before Harry Potter stepped through the floo carrying a sleeping Teddy in his arms. His face registered shock before falling into a neutral look. It had taken the removal of Voldemort from his head to be able to practice occlumency. He wasn't adept by any means but he could hide his emotions well enough now. "Andy, I'll go put Teddy to bed then come back down."

Andy nodded, "That's fine Mr. Potter, everything is fine here."

Narcissa and Andromeda both saw the relief flash across his face. When he finally went upstairs Narcissa turned and whispered to her sister, "That boy, has had far too much weight on his shoulders for far too long."

Andromeda nodded, "Yes he has, and it is all of wizarding society's fault. We left a war we created to be fought by young men and women and the devastation caused by it is entirely our fault. It will be our job to clean up the mess left behind. While the young ones grieve the loss of their friends and families."

Narcissa nodded and was about to respond when Harry Potter came back down stairs. "I can sense that you two need to talk, I'll take my leave. Andy, Mrs. Malfoy, it was nice seeing you both again." And before they could get any words in edgewise he was back through the floo and gone.

Narcissa turned to her sister, "I probably should get going myself. Draco… he's not doing well. He hasn't been able to sleep well for so long. But after the final battle it has been even worse. He won't even talk to me about it."

Andromeda put her hand on her sister's arm. "He'll eventually talk to you Cissa. He needs time to process his own fears and emotions. Let him come to you naturally. Don't force it, it will only end up in a fight if you do."

Narcissa nodded, "I know. I'm sorry again Andy. If you need anything, please, owl me, floo me, anything. I want to be here for you. It is far past time I should have been. You aren't alone anymore. Please don't grieve alone."

Andromeda shook her head, "I'll try not to Cissa, but I'm so used to being on my own now that it will be hard to lean on anyone else. I will be owling you, however. I don't want us to become strangers again."

Narcissa smiled a soft broken smile, "We'll never be strangers again." And with that Narcissa was also gone. Leaving Andromeda to herself once again. Instead of collapsing in on herself, however, she went to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for Teddy and to fix herself a sandwich. The release of emotions had left her exhausted. After she ate she walked up to her room. She placed the bottle in Teddy's crib, cast a sonorous around the crib so when he awoke, any noise he made would wake her up, then lay down and took a nap herself.


End file.
